SL to table 'secret' defence deal with India in Parl: Prez Dissanayake

However, President Dissanayake dismissed allegations of secrecy, saying the deal with India will strengthen defence ties while respecting sovereignty

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Friday confirmed that the recently-signed defence agreement with India will be brought before that country's Parliament soon, news agency PTI reported. Details of the defence deal are yet to made public by either side.

 

His remarks come after the Sri Lankan opposition accused the National People's Power (NPP) government of signing a 'secret deal' during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka from April 4-6. Critics have demanded the full Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be made public.

 

“They are creating false narratives. These are imaginary monsters created by them without seeing it. There are agreements between the countries, they are open for both sides. It is our responsibility to ensure our own security. This has been stated in a clause in the agreement,” Dissanayake said during a TV appearance on Friday night.

 

The president reaffirmed that Sri Lanka would not allow its land to be used for any activities that could threaten India’s national security, a stand Modi publicly thanked him for during his visit.

 

The defence deal also assumes significance in light of China's growing interests in the island nation and its deepening financial investment in that country, particularly its ports. Earlier this year. India's Adani group withdrew from a proposed $442 million renewable energy deal with Sri Lanka, which had sought to renegotiate the financial terms of the partnership. The Adani group had termed the project, which envisaged building two wind power plants along with two transmission projects. unviable at the time.

 

The opposition’s concerns stem from the NPP’s roots in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), which led a bloody rebellion in the late 1980s against Indian involvement in Sri Lanka’s internal conflict with Tamil separatists. That unrest followed the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord signed in 1987, which introduced provincial councils across the country. The JVP opposed the accord until it was militarily defeated in 1989.

 

The current MoU, signed on April 5, marks the first formal defence framework between the two nations and will remain in effect for five years.

 

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Thuiyakontha called the agreement a key milestone. India already trains around 750 Sri Lankan military personnel each year. “This defence partnership continues to be an invaluable asset,” he said.

 

Both countries have agreed to uphold each other’s military and national laws and to honour the core principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and non-interference in domestic matters. Shortly after Modi's visit, the Indian Navy warship INS Sahyadri docked in Colombo as part of its deployment in the region, a move that underscores efforts to strengthen maritime ties between the two nations.